


Abusive

by PotatoesOfWorldlyDesire



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Intoxication, Joseb - Freeform, M/M, Mild Language, Mild S&M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-05 15:01:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4184256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotatoesOfWorldlyDesire/pseuds/PotatoesOfWorldlyDesire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in an AU where Seb and Joseph adopt Leslie and have to try to adapt to civilian life, even when mysteries keep cropping up around them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue 1:  'Too Much'

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired partially by the song, 'Soul 4 Sale' by Simon Curtis.

**Come on baby listen there's some things you ought to know  
I've looked up how this love plays out and where it's gonna go  
Don't tell me that I'm different or that you could try to show me  
Other ways to go about it  
I already know**

 

The bar was it's usual self- a dingy, trashed mess of a place. But, it had alcohol. Ruben liked that. He held up his fingers at the barman, who nodded and gave him a glass of blood-red wine, leaving the bottle on the bar while Ruben paid and twisted on his stool to survey the scene.

The music was blasting, leaving little room for even his genius mind to hear itself think. He narrowed his eyes at people who stared at him as they walked or stumbled past- his scars always had that effect on people. As a neurobiologist who knew quite a bit about psychology, he knew that often people had scars just as terrible as his on the inside. Ruben's scars were on the outside, and he liked it that way. Wearing his flaws made it impossible for anyone to use them against him. 

One person out of the thirty or so in that bar walked past without noticing or staring at him. Of course, he was instantly mesmirised. Her short, choppy hair swayed and her lilac eyes sparkled with mirth as he watched her take a double shot of whiskey as if it was nothing. Her nails were painted as red as the wine that suddenly felt dry in his mouth as for once he was the one caught staring.   
Taking the bottle and his glass over, he took the stool next to where the angel sat. She smirked over at him and he felt small for the first time in his life- yet, there was a spark behind her drooping eyelids that reflected himself. He liked that.

"Drink?" She nodded and accepted a glass of wine from him. 

"I'm not much of a wine person, but thanks." 

"Everyone is a red wine person when given the chance." He tried to lower his voice and raise his gaze, but her breasts were borderline impossible to ignore. 

"You think so?" She chuckled, noticing his brief distraction.

"Of course. Red pumps through our veins. It infects everything we do and everything we see- even if we don't see it, the red is there." 

"You must drink a lot of wine. Or you're Jesus, if it's pumping through your veins." Ruben cracked a smile that would have scared most women, but Kidman had seen worse. And she was drunk. And his strong jawline was sexy. 

 

**This is a relationship in which I make a sacrifice  
You take the cut and split it up and leave the body paralyzed  
Unable to break free of it till it's too late to realize  
But that's just what you've gotta do  
You take the ride  
You pay the price**

They talked for a long time, not realising the bar was closing until they were practically thrown out. By this time, both were blind drunk and seemingly well-aquianted, as they stumbled onto the street giggling and clinging to each other between kisses. Kidman held onto her heels by their straps and they walked down the street, back to Ruben's apartment.

"Y-you're prreetttyyyy.." Slurred Ruben as he locked the door behind them and turned to Kidman, who was clinging to his waist and surveying his every move though hooded eyes.

"You're scary..." Drawled Kidman as she nipped at his neck. "I like that."

"Babay, I can dooooooooo scaryyyy." Whispered Ruben as he held her against the wall and kissed her senseless and their tongues battled for dominance.

With Kidmans legs wrapped around his waist he took her to the bedroom while she kissed and underdressed his upper half, him wincing as her fingernails dragged over his well-healed scars.   
They were a bit too drunk to be co-ordinated, or even to remember everything or anything come morning, but they were both there. Why not make a go of it?

**Hey  
What do you want me to say?  
Tell me  
I already gave you everything you want  
Now give me everything I need  
I've got a soul for sale  
A soul for sale  
Oh  
What do you want me to be?  
Show me  
Cause I wanna give you everything you want  
Just give me everything I need  
I've got a soul for sale  
A soul for sale**

Her boobs were fantastic, thought Ruben as he uncased them from their bra-like prison, replacing the bra with his hands and mouth. 

Already forming on her neck were purple and red love bites that made her mewl as she squirmed underneath him in the throes of exctasy. Not one to easily be outdone in the bedroom, she gripped him with her thighs and flipped them over, Ruben gasping as she took control and made her own clumsy, wet and powerful signature on his neck.

The dry humping wasn't really doing it for either of them, though. They were too drunk to know anything but the skin-on-skin touch of the other. So, off came their trousers. Off came their underwear. And off came any pretense that what they were doing was anything but a drunken fling. 

Kidman found herself on the bottom again, gasping as he entered her and biting her lip at how good it felt. Ruben groaned in sympathy as they found a rythm, a beat, and moved to it. Each moan one gave out was answered by the other with a groan as they spurred each other on and on until the pressure between them exploded and they saw light- a bright, piercing, beacon of light that blinded them as they climaxed together.

**For forty days and forty nights you worked it to seduce me  
I'd listen to the lyrics of your song cause they amused me  
The sing along did not last long  
It started to reduce me to a puppet on the shelf just screaming  
"Puppet master choose me!"  
So come on baby  
Come on love me like a Kamekazee  
We'll go down in flames together  
Light it up like paparazzi calling out my name  
The fame  
The flames  
They're all one and the same  
So sign me up to love you  
Cause I'm ready for the game**

Kidman woke up with bruised hips and a pleasant soreness between her legs as she sat up in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar and heavily scarred back turned to her. She saw clothes strewn around the room and recognised some of her own. Her bra was high up on one of the bedposts, nearly touching the ceiling. One of her ankles was tied to the other bedpost by her scarf with a clumsily tied knot that she found easy enough to undo- she had a splitting headache and didn't remember how any of this had happened- she knew it wasn't rape simply from the lack of pain and the immense satisfaction she felt. She recognised the nail marks down either side of the scarred back as her own personal tokens of affection that she had left upon many a lover since her last break-up.

She got out of bed and picked up a white button-down shirt that had at first looked like hers, then came down to her mid-thigh - she decided it was hers until scar-back woke up... She would have to figure out his name pretty soon...

The notes on his fridge all said 'Ruvik' and so she decided that was his name. Ruvik. Ruuuuuvik. Well, she hoped it was right.

She made coffe and waited for him to wake up. It was about 20 minutes later when he came out of the bedroom looking very confused. He jumped when he saw her and she wondered how bad her bedhead looked in comparison to his bald one. "Hiya, Stranger." She smirked at the bite marks on his neck and chest and... Well, everywhere. She concluded she couldn't have been very co-ordinated last night and hoped he didn't notice.

"Hey... Um, Stranger." He smiled weakly and winced at the bitter black coffee as he sat across from her. 

"It's Julie."

"Nice to meet you."

Kidman blinked- he seemed unfazed by waking up and having coffee with her, despite not knowing who she was. Before she could speak or even figure out how she was going to phrase what was on her mind, he spoke in a calm and almost monotone voice- it was kind of creepy; "No, you don't have to get yourself checked out. We used a condom. I remember... That much..." He looked into her eyes and yet straight through them, as if she was of no consiquence to what happened last night- and all he wanted was her memories.

"It's Ruvik, right?" He straightened.

"Ruben. Nobody calls me Ruvik these days."

"Does anyone even know you?" He didn't answer. So she looked into her coffee, giving him a quick sideways glance as she spoke, "You go to that bar, you've not got a lot going on. Usually just a drinking habit."  
He smiled.

They continued to talk- more banter really, but it was new to have someone looking at his mind instead of the other way around. They wound up exchanging phone numbers and arranging to meet up at the bar in two weeks time, for reasons beyond Ruben's understanding; not that he minded very much.

**Oh!  
Give me everything, give me everything   
Sign on the line  
Make a deal with the Devil  
Make a deal with the Devil in blood**

 

The bar was empty. Well, not exactly empty; it just didn't contain anyone that mattered. Ruben scoured every corner of the bar, wondering if she took after Laura and enjoyed hide and seek- a game he had mastered from age three. If she was there, she was better at hiding than the man who had managed to hide everything, from everyone; ever since Laura... 

Kidman hadn't moved. She couldn't move. She sat in the bathroom and stared at the stick in her hand. Two intersecting lines greeted her eye. Positive. How in the hell was anything supposed to be positive at a time like this? She'd been with one man this month, and he'd told her they'd used a condom. He'd fucking lied. Tears threatened to spill over her eyes as she stared. She diverted her gaze for a moment to look at her watch. It was ten thirty. She'd arranged to meet him hours ago- would he still be there? She wasn't sure she'd be any good in person as her hands shook. She wouldn't want to get rid of it. That would have left scars on her body and mind. She had no time for one at work- she imagined it in the back seat with Joseph, wailing away while she dodged a hail of bullets with Sebastian. No. So what other option would be left? Adoption? Also a no. 

Suddenly she jolted up and dashed to her phone, dialling the only number that was fresh in her mind. "Are you still there?"

"I've been waiting for hours. What's-" 

"I'll be there in five."

She drove like a madman, not taking too many risks but hardly taking every precaution. She was distracted, and she knew it would be bad for her, her job, and the thing inside her.   
The.. Baby.

**Sign on the line  
Make a deal with the Devil  
Make a deal with the Devil in blood  
I know your love is bad  
But I want it all**

Someone yanked him off the stool by the back of his collar and he was instantly in a fighting mode, landing on his feet and rolling to the side. "Wha-?"

Kidman smiled weakly, extending a hand to help him up. "Sorry, did I startle you?" She chose this point to push him out of the doorway of the bar and onto the quiet night street. "Because that's exactly what I got after today's round of morning sickness."

"Your what now?" Her arms were crossed as he looked at her, his mind going slower than usual. At the grueling rate of a normal humans. "You're-?"

"Fucking a liar? Yes." She glowered at him. "You said we used a fucking condom, you bastard." 

"I saw it in the dustbin. It looked used." 

"OBVIOUSLY NOT USED ENOUGH!" Yelled Kidman, suddenly tired of everything, absolutely everything, and collapsing into him.

Ruben, who had been prepared for a bitch slap, or a sucker punch, was not prepared for a hug. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed and he walked her towards his apartment, all his original hopes for the evening gone. 

She was shaking and yet in a strange sense of deja vu she clung to his hips before they both sat at the kitchen table again.

"Are you sure you're.." He couldn't quite bring himself to say the word.

"I'm fucking pregnant. I took 10 tests. And 9 of those were positive." She was breathing heavily. 

"What do you want to do?" He studied her curiously, not wanting to form any opinions before he'd heard hers; at the end of the day he was a sociopath, not a father. He'd be good at manipulating after knowing her opinion. But which way did he want this to go?

"I haven't got a fucking clue." She wiped at her nose with the back of her hand and he gave her a tissue. "I was hoping you would."

Ruben blinked. What would he want? He hardly knew this girl- they'd been dating for what, a month? Less? On the other hand, a child... He could teach it things. He could teach it hide and seek and the difference between the amigdyla and the hippo-campus. He could mold it into the perfect scientist- a creature that could understand him. Something with his mind. He looked back up at Kidman. She was very attractive. Strong, too; she'd caught him off guard and hauled him into the street before he could so much as retaliate. She would make a good mother. He supposed this was what made him reach his decision, in the end. The good factors. So, he came up with a plan of manipulation that he knew in his dark heart was sure to work on the beautiful woman in front of him.

"I... I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

**Oh  
What do you want me to be?  
Show me  
Cause I wanna give you everything you want  
Just give me everything I need  
I've got a soul for sale  
A soul for sale**

With a final cry, it was done. Kidman fell back onto the hospital bed, the fight gone from her body for the first time since Ruben had met her 10 months ago. He grasped her hand as tightly as she grasped his and watched as they bathed his son and ran the necessary tests. He cried very strongly, his bright hair sticking up from his head from all angles, resembling his mother's bed head as he woke up for the first time.  
It was Ruben who registered their child and made sure the name on the birth certificate was correct. Now, all of his plans could be put into action...

"Leslie." He murmured, looking down at the sleeping child.

**Hey  
What do you want me to say?  
Tell me  
I already gave you everything you want  
Now give me everything I need  
I've got a soul for sale  
A soul for sale  
Oh**


	2. Something Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseb smut! Yay! (Also, inspired a bit by Simon Curtis's song, 'Flesh')!

**This is not the way into my heart  
Into my head  
Into my brain  
Into none of the above  
This is just my way of unleashing  
The feelings deep inside of me  
This spark of black that I seem to love  
We can get a little crazy just for fun  
Just for fun  
Don't even try to hold it back  
Just let go**

The apartment was quiet. It was always quiet on a working day like today, when Joseph and Seb were out doing who-knows-what, who-knows-where. Solving mysteries and shooting the bad guys and getting shot at, it assumed. As always, it was a relief when the twin footsteps were heard shuffling down the corridor, towards number 221B. Though, for some reason, there were no voices and there was no friendly chatter, like the house usually heard as the keys sang in the doorway, happy to be home. 

Something slammed against the door and the house nearly jumped in shock at the sudden, rough movement. What was this?

**Tie me up and take me over  
Till you're done  
Till I'm done  
You've got me fiendin'  
And I'm ready to blow**

Joseph's arms were being held up over his head and his mouth was being taken prisoner, his lip swelling red under the harsh treatment it was recieving at the hands of Seb's teeth. He moaned and returned the heavy kiss, panting as they broke apart for air.

Instantly Seb's mouth went to Joseph's neck as his spare hand fumbled in his pocket for a key. Seb had just found the keys when he also found the sweet spot of 'Sephs neck, as the skinnier man suddenly let out a much deeper moan than he had been doing previously. 

Once inside, they waisted no time in ridding each other of their clothes as they made their way into the bedroom, occaisionally crashing into walls or knocking over furniture in their passion. Both would probably suffer bruises in the morning, but neither of them were thinking about that in the raw heat of the moment.

**Hold my hands above my head  
And push my face into the bed  
Cause I'm a screamer baby  
Make me a mute  
You put your hand upon my neck and feel the pulse  
Beat beat beat beat  
It's like a trigger  
Get me ready to shoot  
Wanna wrestle with me baby  
Here's a sneak  
Little peek**

Ever the gentleman, Seb gently let Joseph down onto the bed before reclaiming his lips and tying his hands together with his favoured red tie- something he had long ago discovered excited Joseph to no end, as once again Seb took control of the situation when his partner's hands were secured to the headboard.

Kissing down his arms to his face, he stopped to nip and suck at 'Seph's ear. "Petunia's, remember." Seb whispered as seductively as one can say the word 'Petunia's. Is there a way to do so? We can only imagine, unless we're Joseph Oda. 

Returning to the sweet spot of his lover's neck, Seb sucked harshly, loving the trembling of his partner beneath him.

Kissing down his chest, stomach and abdomen, Seb found something a lot more pleasureable to suck indeed.

**You can dominate the game  
Cause I'm tough  
I don't play around that often  
When I do  
I'm a freak  
So you'd better believe  
I like it rough**

When he was sure his partner was spent, he ensured his hands were untied and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "How was that?" Asked Seb, suddenly self-concious. Joseph smiled and gave him an eskimo kiss, followed by a gentle kiss. 

"Brilliant, as always." His hand travelled down Sebs chest and found his target upright and alert, ready for action. Slowly, torturously slowly, Seph pumped his hand up and down, flicking his thumb over the tip as Sebastian hissed in pleasure. Slowly, he increased the pace to something he knew Seb would enjoy a lot more...

**Hold me down  
And make me scream  
Lay me on the floor  
Turn me on  
And take me out  
Make me beg for more**

They always held each other, afterwards. No matter what it was- hard fucking or soft lovemaking- there was always a patch of quiet time afterwards where they would both turn over and stare at each other, silently smiling before one offered a hug and the other would accept- often they would fall asleep like this. However tonight, Joseph could tell from the look on Sebs face that tonight wasn't an easy night inside the mind of the detective. "What's wrong?"

"I've been... Thinking about *her* again." Instantly Joseph stiffened (not in the pleasurable way). 

"While we were-??" Sebs eyes widened as his fingers curled around his partner's forearm.

"What? No, NO! Not Myra. Not once since we- Since the first-"

"Then who?" Joseph's voice was cold and distant, even though he didn't want it to be- he was never too good at controlling his emotions and the way his cheeks burned in shame at the thought of another man in his detectives life.

"Lily." 

"Oh."

"I never saw her, after; you know? Myra identified the body. She didn't let me in. She never let me in." Seb wasn't usually this vulnerable and to some extent it scared Joseph; however he'd grown used to the soft side of the usually gruff and dominant male.

**Push up to my body  
Sink your teeth into my  
Flesh  
Get undressed  
Taste the flesh  
Bite into me harder  
Sink your teeth into my  
Flesh**

Seb doesn't know what comes over him, some days. The line of his between 'Fuck off' and 'Oh hold me Jojo I'm so lonely' was becoming more tenuous and no matter how much Joseph reassured him that it was alright; that it was normal, he couldn't accept it. He wanted to go back to the bar where he'd met Kidman and where he'd gone after Myra and after Lily, and he wanted to drink until he ached, so that he could forget he was Sebastian Castellanos.

The only thing that held him back was the one person who literally held him back on some occasions- the shy man who had lovingly caressed him moments before and who was now telling him everything would be okay, he'd see, as the usually gloved hand ran its fingers through the mussed up ebony locks in worry. 

"We'll find something to take your mind off of it." Joseph went on, like that was going to help. Seb smiled bitterly, but allowed himself some brief flash of hope. 

He wished he hadn't...

**Pass the test  
Taste the flesh  
Hold me up against the wall  
Give it till I beg  
Give me some more  
Make me bleed I like it Rough  
Like it Rough Rough Rough  
Push up to my body  
Sink your teeth into my  
Flesh**


	3. The Ending of a Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired slightly by the song, 'Face Down' by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

**Hey, girl, you know you drive me crazy  
One look puts the rhythm in my hand.  
Still I'll never understand why you hang around  
I see what's going down.**

(Two years later...)

Kidman's father didn't get jolly after a drink or two. He got fucking pissed. She remembered the bruises on her mother that she didn't understand, and she remembered the night her father left.

It wasn't like in the movies, with a huge fight and breaking glass and raining hard outside- it was a still night, and she could hear the yelling- she could hear the fast-paced creaking of her mothers rocking chair as her father yelled unintelligible slurrs. 

The door slammed and her entire body jolted, because even at his most angry... Daddy never slammed the door. He was quiet until he wasn't. Until he exploded and the monster behind his lavender eyes exploded.  
Mummy had locked the door- Kidman was sure she'd heard.

She also heard the breaking glass of the window, and as she sat up in bed she heard the-

"Juli?" A pair of rough hands jerked her awake. Her confused eyes were met with gold ones. "Juli?"

"Hmmmm? What?" Kidman didn't know whether or not to be angry that she'd been woken up, or happy that she'd escaped the dream of the memory.

**Cover up with make-up in the mirror  
Tell yourself, it's never gonna happen again  
You cry alone and then he swears he loves you.**

Ruben gestured to the foot of the bed where his wide eyed son looked up at his mother from the foot of the bed. "Looks like you're not the only one to have nightmares, Kid."

Kidman's heart softened and slowed as she took Leslie into her arms. "Is that so?" The toddler nodded in her arms. She promted, "Want to talk about it?" Again Leslie only shook his head no. He barely talked, and to be honest Kidman was worried- she knew he was smart, but his verbal developments had been unusually slow- why? She knew he could write in full sentences already, but he hardly ever spoke more than one word- this annoyed Ruben to no end.

Reflexively his arms wrapped around her and Ruben wrapped his arms around both of them as they all fell back into a dark, dreamless sleep.

**Do you feel like a man when you push her around?  
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?  
Well, I'll tell you, my friend, one day this world's gonna end  
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.**

The first time he hits her, she's sure it's a one time thing. Ruben is always aloof but sweet, and so mild mannered that she's sure he wouldn't do anything to hurt her or Leslie. Immediately the cloud of rage lifts from his face and he grabs both of her hands and hauls her off of the floor, apologising profusely; promising it won't happen ever again. He kisses the cheek that's flushed red from the impact, and Kidman hopes that it won't bruise as he holds her against him, still heavily breathing and apologising. She doesn't question him for one second.

She knows she won't wind up like her mother. 

**A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect  
Every action in this world will bear a consequence  
If you wade around forever, you will surely drown  
I see what's going down.**

"What's that?" Seb gestures to a collection of purple bruises on her arm that her sleeve rolled up just high enough to expose. She puts the most mortified face she can muster on and quickly rolls her sleeve down to cover her whole forearm. "Is everything alright at home?" 

No. No. Seb can't find out. He'll kill Ruben and at this point Kidman doesn't know what she'd do- she leaves him at home with Leslie everyday. Babysitters are expensive and she knows Ruben loves Leslie too much to hurt him. 

"It's -ehm- fine. I think we just got a bit carried away- uhm- last.. Last night.." Seb immediately waves his hand in her general direction.

"No need for details, Kid. Just tell him to go easy on you." Seb chuckles and she laughs along as he pats her on the back. She holds back a wince.

Juli Kidman is a strong woman. These kinds of things don't happen to her. She's worked enough of these kinds of cases with Seb to know what a relationship like hers is when she sees one. For some reason she can't really see it though. Maybe... Maybe it's because she's in it. 

**I see the way you go and say you're right again,  
Say you're right again  
Heed my lecture.**

Ruben teaches Leslie how to count and all the biology that the standard 12-year-old should know. Sometimes Kidman thinks he forgets that their son is only 5 and can only fit so much into his brain. He seems intent on pushing it to the limit, every day; to the point where Kidman isn't sure Leslie has the energy for nightmares anymore. 

The fucking is always good- it's always a reflection of what Kidman suspects is inside Ruben's heart- tough, hard and too deep to grasp fully until it's all over and she's encapsulated in soft, warm arms she almost can't believe would ever hurt her the way that they do, come the morning over such small things- the water bill was a bit high, Leslie not eating enough 'brain food', anything really. Kidman never wanted or expected a normal life, but that's not to say she wanted this.

**One day she will tell you that she has had enough  
He's coming round again.**

He has her by the throat when something snaps she decides she's had enough of it. Leslie is asleep; he always is these days. Somehow she finds the strength in her arms to heave Ruben off of her for the first time. He stands there again as if it were the first time. 

"Juli? I'm- I'm so s-"

"Fuck off." He looks hurt somehow at her coldness and her heart twists, but she's too damn tired not to do this. "And get out."

"What?" He's still in shock, so she shoves him back against the door. 

"Fuck off. Out of my life. Out of this house. Get the hell away from me." He contemplates for a moment, looking like he still feels in full control- like he thinks he has a choice, which really annoys Kidman.

"What about Leslie?" 

"Oh Honey, you're never going to see Leslie again. He's going to grow up a normal kid. He's going to have fun and play around with Thomas the Tank Engine and go to a normal pre-school, like every other kid. Maybe one day he'll even have a good father." 

She doesn't see Ruben's fist flying- she feels it as the sheer force knocks her to the ground.

She fights. All of a sudden, she's fighting for her life as the man who once treated her and the baby so kindly aims blow after blow onto her and she can't block them all.

 

**Do you feel like a man when you push her around?  
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?  
Well, I'll tell you, my friend, one day this world's gonna end  
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found**

Leslie peeters around on chubby legs still, searching in the crowd of black for his mother. He finds his uncle Sebastian looking down at the odd wooden box everyone seems to be so fascinated with- he wonders why. Mama would tell him, if he could find her. He tugs on Seb's hand and the detective jolts slightly before bending down to pick up the boy.

"Where's mama?" Asks Leslie. Seb's eyes cloud over with an emotion beyond his 5-year-old reasoning. Leslie waits for a response and hears another voice- uncle Jojo.

"She's gone away." 

"She comes back? When?" The two older men exchange a glance. 

"Not for a while, kiddo." Sebs eyes won't rise, but Uncle Jojo's do. 

"What are those marks on your arm, Leslie?" he pushes up the black sleeve of Leslie's 'Fun-ear-al' suit to reveal the dark marks on the chubby arm. 

"Oh my fuck." Said Sebastian, when Joseph quickly clamped his hands over the child's ears. 

"Kidman wasn't telling us something." Murmured Joseph, glancing worriedly at the smiling photo on top of the coffin.

"Kidman didn't tell us a lot of things, Joseph. Maybe thing's would have been different if she- if I'd just-" Seb sighed and suddenly Leslie was a deadweight in his arms. The kid had fallen asleep. "I guess it's our job to find out."

"I think it's time to go." Said a quiet, calm, sudden voice, as Joseph and Seb watched the coffin lower into the ground. They turned to see Ruben with a small, brightly-coloured child's backpack. 

Seb and Seph exchanged a look before Joseph took Leslie into his arms and Sebastian Castellanos stepped foreward. 

"Ruben Victoriano, I'm placing you under arrest under suspicion of assault and murder."

 

**Face down in the dirt,  
She said, "This doesn't hurt."  
She said, "I finally had enough."**


	4. Bad Ideas Are Bad Realities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired partially by the song 'Joshua' by Simon Curtis. Hope you enjoy and please comment!

**I'm so tired of people always saying that I'm a good person  
Cause I'm not  
If they could only see what was in my head**

Ruben stares at the box that is arrogant enough to think it can contain him for the next 24 hours. Please. Even if he hadn't cleaned all the evidence from the house, he has a sparkling reputation at work to back him up- mindless worker drones who will instantly back him up, simply because they only know the poor man with the scars all over his body, who works tirelessly all day and even some nights to further his research.  
They don't know the monster within, because Ruben wears his scars on the outside.  
Cats sometimes wander into boxes; this is exactly the same thing. Cats always get out of things like this, because humans realise that cats have a different worldview and must be allowed to progress if the humans want to rub that soft underbelly.   
So, when Ruben gets out he will play the part of grieving partner, single father, and devoted scientist. He will of course be cold to Joseph and Sebastian and ask what on earth they were implying. He smirks in his cell, picturing the looks on their faces when Ruben tells them that they won't ever see Leslie again- the only surviving scrap of Kidman that sometimes looks so like her it hurts.

He tries not to think about what he's lost; it was her fault for provoking him, he reasons. Ruben Victoriano has never once felt guilt over what he's done, in any aspect of his life. He's not about to start now.

 

**Little boy has come into his own  
He's gotta make them big decisions cause he's grown  
He's gonna get a rude awakening if he don't realize  
Who really loves him  
Who lies**

The food has all the redeeming features of boiled shit and so he doesn't eat it. He starts to get angry; his time coming to a close as night sets in. By 12 PM tomorrow Sebastian Castellanos will have no choice but to release him, to apologise! Oh, he shall savour that feeling.   
Anticipation is causing his limbs to shake. He thinks about her- Juli Kidman. Yet at the same time he doesn't think of *her*. He thinks of the swell of her body when she was pregnant. He thinks of the bounce of her hair when she went running with him to resume her body's former fighting-fit shape after the baby.   
He thinks about how even though her eyes were undeniably lilac, in certain lights they looked as cold and blue as Leslie's. How she only managed to give their son one facial feature and he gave the rest is beyond his reasoning for some reason. It surprises even his biologists brain that his son could look so like him.   
A glancing look at his son is more like a glancing blow to Ruben, however, as his son's movements look exactly how Ruben assumes Juli's were when she was younger, with her own father.  
The fear in his sons eyes is unbearable, it mirror's Juli's too much; just like when he... When he...  
No.   
He hasn't done anything wrong- that's Ruben's story, and he's sticking to it.

 

**Do you ever stop to wonder if they love you?  
When you look into the mirror do you see the truth?  
Or do the voices in your head still got you confused?  
Do they make you wanna say**

Why. Why? Why is the only question that bothers Ruben enough to stay awake through the long hard nights when he's in too much pain to move. His accident may not look like it hurts anymore, but inside his mind he can still feel the flames every time his eyes close- and it doesn't make sleep a pleasant experience.

It was better with Kidman. He could show her how strong he was because he could sleep through his own nightmares without thrashing around and falling off of the bed in the middle of the night- she could never do that, even decades after her father left she still dreamt of it most nights.

Tonight he asks why, not about the accident or of Kidman, but of Laura.

 

**I'm not who you think I am  
I'm not who you think I am  
I'm not who you think I am  
Who I am who I am who I am  
I'm not a good boy**

It was a sunny summery day, where the clouds drifted over the sunflower fields and the siblings could play in the barn. Hide and seek. Hide and seek. Let Laura win, she's bigger- she's harder to hide.  
She didn't mind Ruben's experiments and she still loved him even when his parents thought he was a freak with his dissections. But without his dissections, how would he know what made them work? Like the cogs of a clock, Ruben reasoned, everything is designed to move and in moving everything moves everything else. But how could he back up his hypothesis with proper evidence if he was not allowed to collect that evidence?  
That is why he loves Laura. Laura brings him toads and dead birds the cats brought in. Sometimes rats- but those are a rare treat.  
There were voices outside- probably mother and father. They knew Ruben and Laura were out in the fields again- where else would two normal children be on a day like today. They said that later today they could go for ice cream. Ice cream on a hot summery day- Ruben and Laura recognised this was a treat for their good behavior- and perhaps for his parents to celebrate because the cat had lately stopped bringing in dead things for Ruben to dissect.

They're playing hide and seek again- Laura is hiding and Ruben is seeking. he hears the voices again and laughs- pure laughter, happy laughter that his sister's ears drink in like liquid gold. She giggles from within the haystack, and he jumps onto the haystack, her and the hay softening his landing.   
They hug and roll around- play fighting with laughter in the pure mirth of the moment.

 

**I wonder if you ever stop and think  
About whatever happened to me  
Did you ever maybe think that I was victimized  
By those who said they loved me?  
They lied**

The voices aren't mama and papa. Ruben doesn't know who they are. He gives it little thought.

Until a few minutes later, when he sees the smoke and then the flames. The barn is old and brittle and yet he's still surprised that it's fully engulfed so quickly. He breathes in and out very very deeply but there's no longer enough oxygen in the air to satisfy his need- he can only cough out smoke.   
The pain caused by the heat is nothing compared to the pain in his heart as Laura's last laugh turns to a scream as she helps her younger, shorter brother out of the window.

As Ruben falls onto the ground he sees the men escaping, carrying big red containers that he knows would be used to carry gasoline. He can see from how fast they're running that the containers are empty. That's all he sees though, because then he hits the ground and everything goes black.

 

**Do you know that you broke me down?  
But I'm letting it go  
I'm breaking it down  
For all that I know  
You've broken it down  
I just want you to know  
You can turn it around**

Laura was my first thought, he remembers, his eyes still closed. She was always my first thought, back then. 'Hey Laura, want to see this?' ; 'Hurry up and play with me, Laura!!'.

When he was small enough, she used to hop around with him in her arms and call him 'Little Roo'. He supposes this was a mockery of the kangaroo, but at the time it helped him understand how muscles tense while under stress.  
He opens his eyes and forces his mind as far as he can from the cruel memory. The memory that drew him to the alcohol that drove him to Kidman that drove him right back to where he was- because now in the dream barn there are two females, not just one. He can only choose one- but who?  
Even when he has enough time in the dream to chose (always Laura), he never has enough time, strength, energy or even height to save her.

 

**I'm not who you think I am  
I'm not who you think I am  
I'm not who you think I am  
Who I am who I am who I am  
I'm not a good boy**

Ruben doesn't expect to see Sebastian Castellanos back so soon. Eager for punishment, he thinks with a smirk. Then the detective fixes him with a glare that makes his shoulders square and fingers tighten against the bars of the box that holds him. Sebastian leans close.  
"You're going to go away for a long, long time for what you did to her."

 

**This isn't about you  
It's about me**


	5. The Saving of a Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Partially inspired by the song 'Fairytale' by Alexander Rybak

**Years ago, when I was younger  
I kinda liked, a girl I knew  
She was mine, and we were sweethearts  
That was then, but then it’s true**

"He's not getting out." Sebastian Castellanos's knuckles were white as he made a dramatic swerve through the traffic. "That bastard is not going to see the light of day ever again." He beeped and made a rude hand gesture towards another poor unfortunate car whom he then sped past. "If I have to put him 6 feet under he's not getting out."  
"Don't swear in front of Leslie." Chastised Joseph, looking in the rearview mirror to see the huge blue eyes staring at them both.  
"Daddy coming?" Asked the toddler, his verbal abilities were getting better, but still not quite normal for a child his age.  
"Not yet, kiddo." Joseph turned to Seb, who was still clutching the steering wheel as if it was the neck of a certain Victoriano. "Seb, we'll get him. But right now we've got a more.. Pressing problem." Instantly Seb's muscles relaxed as he betrayed how tired he truly was.  
"You're right, Seph. 'Course you are." He took a swig from the flask he'd taken to refilling more often than usual. "We need to get the papers ready."  
Sebastian undid the seat belt on the toddler's seat, helping the child out and leading him by the hand towards the apartment, where most of his things had been moved into the guest room. 

**I’m in love, with a fairytale  
Even though it hurts  
Coz I don’t care if I lose my mind  
I’m already cursed**

"MAMAAAA!!" The scream tore through the apartment complex, nevermind the single few rooms where the detectives dwelled. In a flash, Sebastian was awake and jolting to the guest room, his eyes wide and heart beating faster than he'd had it beat since the phone call, all those years ago...  
He burst into the room where Leslie was hunched over in the fetal position, crying in such a heart-rending way that the detective was almost afraid to touch him, lest he break into a thousand pieces. "Leslie?"  
The sniffling didn't stop but two short, chubby arms raised in a gesture that Seb usually only gave to Joseph or Kidman. He wrapped his arms around the kid and awkwardly patted his back as he sobbed into Sebs chest. He looked up awkwardly when Joseph came into the room a while later, looking confused. Then he saw the sobbing bundle in his partner's arms and flashed a face of sympathetic understanding.  
"Hey, little Leslie. What's happening?" It was times like this when Sebastian remembered the for all his awkwardness in serious situations, Joseph was good with small children. That had always been Myra's strength with Lily, come to think of it...

**Everyday, we started fighting  
Every night, we fell in love  
No one else, could make me sadder  
But no one else, could lift me high above**

"I-I thought Mama was here..." Leslie trembled as both men tried to soothe him. "But I woke up and she wasn't an IdunnowheresheisanIwannaseeheran-" Leslie tumbled into inconsolable babbling while the two detectives looked on helplessly- though once again Seb held onto the tiny beam of hope; this had been the longest sentence Leslie had ever said. Albeit the child was half asleep and absolutely terrified, but... It was something.

**I don’t know, what I was doing  
When suddenly, we fell apart  
Nowadays, I cannot find her  
But when I do, we’ll get a brand new start**

That morning Joseph burnt the pancakes. Joseph never cooked- they usually ate takeout, or Kidman brought food. Seb felt sick as he looked down at the charred mess smothered in syrup. Kidman. She wouldn't be doing that again.  
Leslie, on the other hand, was enjoying the sticky mess. He was smiling and while he quite often missed his mouth with the food he ate quickly- like he hadn't had a good meal in a long long time. Seb and Joseph cleaned him up and left him on the floor playing with a set of blocks and his teddy bear.  
"What are we going to do with him?" Joseph asked worriedly. Seb looked at the floor uncertainly.  
"He's Kidmans. She had no other family. No one to know. No one to care..." He closed his eyes and fought back the blind rage at the marks on her arm that he should have recognised. His tense hands were taken again by the man who had been keeping Seb together the past few days.  
"We can handle being shot at; we should be able to handle a toddler." Joseph leaned in and kissed Sebastian softly.  
"So we can-"  
"I wouldn't want anyone else to take care of him. You wouldn't want anyone else to take care of him. Guess who you and I both trust to take care of him?" Seb smiled the first smile in a long time that wasn't forced, as they kissed again.

**I’m in love, with a fairytale  
Even though it hurts  
Coz I don’t care if I lose my mind  
I’m already cursed**

Leslie was legally in their custody for the time being- but without evidence or a conviction concerning Ruben, they would have to wait a long time to become his full legal guardians.  
The hardest part of the investigation was questioning Leslie- Seb couldn't fully do so and had to be replaced by another officer. Why he or Seb were still on the case was a mystery considering how close they were, then again if you had a white-hot crowbar it was unlikely Seb would be prized away from the case.  
It was Leslie's testimony that would be the linchpin to the case- that with bloodied shards of glass found in the dumpster behind the house and skin particulates found on Ruben's shoe. However what Leslie had grown up hearing when he was tucked away safe in bed would be enough to convict any man- if the jury were to believe the kid; in cases like these, Seb figured they had an even chance of winning.  
Finally there came the day of the court case, when everything would be decided- for better or worse. Seb had worn his fingernails to the nubs with worry. He didn't know what would happen to Leslie if he wound up going home with his father again.  
He wasn't going to let himself think like that.

 

**She’s a fairytale, yeah  
Even though it hurts  
Coz I don’t care if I lose my mind  
I’m already cursed**


	6. What's Wrong With Him?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired partially by the song, 'Fix You', By Coldplay. (I decided it wasn't sad enough... Oops... ;3 )

**When you try your best, but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want, but not what you need  
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse**

Leslie never sleeps through the whole night. Often Seb isn't even aware half the time of when exactly he gets up and comforts the crying kid in the middle of the bed. He just wakes up to Joseph's burning pancakes (no innuendo, unfortunately) and with the kid cuddled impossibly close to his chest, listening to his heartbeat avidly, often with his eyes wide open.   
Inwardly, Seb hates the courthouse and the idiotic decisions and methods the people there use. Mostly he just hates wearing the penguin suit and waddling around like a good little worker drone when he'd rather be beating the shit out of Ruben, who is smirking when he enters the courtroom. * Smirking *.  
Seb hopes that Leslie doesn't understand any of what's gone on. But Leslie is just as smart as Kidman was and that's both good and not good- he knows what his father is on trial for, but he hasn't realised yet that his mother isn't coming back yet. Ruben even gives the kid a wave before he sits down and the trial commences.

**And the tears come streaming down your face  
When you lose something you can't replace  
When you love someone, but it goes to waste  
Could it be worse?**

The thing about bastards like Ruben. They hate getting caught. That's probably why he looks so cut up when he's giving his testimony. Why he cooks up a story about finding Kidmans body that is so o b v i o u s l y bullshit that it takes every ounce of Sebs strength to keep from launching at the fucker right then and there.   
He's never thought of her like that before. Just. A body. The body. In the middle of the living room and with her smell still clinging to her. With her brain but it's not her brain because there's nothing left of her to be hers. Apart from Leslie, who probably was awake in the next room, listening to every moment of what happened but just being too young to understand or to help- it makes Sebastian's head buzz, to even think about how fucked up that home must have been, just weeks ago. It makes his hand close around Leslie's and Joseph's in a rare need for support that he realises should be kept out of the courthouse- out of work in general, and releases both hands. Joseph understands and places his hands back on his lap. However, Leslie's hand remains and his eyes are giant blue saucers that look like they're trying to find out everything in the room by taking in every minute detail- he'd make a good detective one day, Seb thinks, nearly laughing bitterly. Nearly.

**Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
I will try to fix you**

It's the pause before the final verdict that drives Seb insane. He had forgotten to account for how Leslie would react in front of seemingly a thousand staring, waiting jury members. He rambled the answer to every question in a monotone, as if it had been rehearsed. He still trembles now, when he's in Seb's arms again- outside in the park, on a bench. He doesn't want to eat but Joseph does some comical imitation of an airplane with the cheese sandwich and Leslie laughs before he eats the whole thing in a few bites.   
Eventually he stops trembling and hops down and walks towards the playground on the park, fascinated by another toddler in a secluded corner of the playground that is blowing enough bubbles to fill the whole place up. Seb and Joseph follow behind him, curious to see what will happen if Leslie is left to fend for himself socially for perhaps the first time.  
“Bubble.” One hits him on the nose and pops in his face- Leslie's eyes water slightly but he does not cry. He smiles and pops another with his fingers. The girl blowing bubbles giggles and blows a long delicate bubble in his direction. Leslie isn't really sure what to do so he giggles. She has purple eyes, like Mama does. Maybe she knows where Mama is. For now he's content to just play in the bubbles and watch her from a few feet away, getting closer to her without realising. Her Mama is watching the exchange and smiling for some reason. Leslie doesn't mind- for the first time in forever, he feels safe. He can see and feel the sunlight and the grass and he can smell the grass, the fresh air, Uncle Seb and Uncle Jojo and the synthetic aroma of the bubbles; especially when the bubbles pop- the sound pleases him and the smell smells really clean. He likes it.

**High up above or down below  
When you're too in love to let it go  
But if you never try you'll never know  
Just what you're worth**

Seb hasn't really seen this side of Leslie before. Usually, Leslie keeps away from the other kids- other people in general, really- and yet here he is, dancing around a girl who is blowing bubbles and also dancing.  
“For a detective, you sure look surprised.” Joseph chuckles, not taking his eyes off of the children. “Look- he even has your dance moves down to a T!” This earns Joseph a playful punch to the arm as they keep watching the strange childish interaction until the mother of the girl comes over, beaming.   
“I take it you're the proud parents?” She smiles and for a moment Seb could swear it's Kidman- purple eyes. Brown, stylish hair. But no. Eyes are a couple shades too dark. Hair slightly too long and with the unkempt nature that seems to catch up to every mother- apart from Kidman. Kidman is gone.  
“Yes indeed!” Joseph puts his hand out after Seb doesn't immediately respond. “Joseph and Sebastian Castellanos, pleased to meet you.”  
“Paula Guitierrez, likewise.” They shake hands before glancing back at the still-playing children. “Lilly doesn't usually make friends so easily.” Seb stiffens and pales slightly at the name.  
“Oh, what a lovely girl! Leslie is pretty new to this too. Right, Seb?” Joseph prompts and Seb shakes himself out of his mind and back into the moment, letting a charming smile come over his face.  
“He's shy, is all. Doesn't sleep too well for some reason.”  
“A few playdates should sort that out. Lilly is always invincible until she's had a friend over. Then it's like feeding tranquillisers to a teddy bear.”

Seb isn't quite sure how anything happens, but all of a sudden they have a playdate scheduled at the park for two weeks from now. They don't even know if they'll win the case yet, he thinks, as the new number is saved into his phone.

 

**Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
I will try to fix you**

Leslie is actually asleep when they sit him back down in the uncomfortable courtroom chair, and Seb steels himself for the verdict. Guilty or not guilty, he will never see the kid again. No way in hell is Seb going to see Leslie hurt again.   
The votes of the jury have been counted by now, anyway. Sebs future- Leslie's future- is already written out on the paper that is being handed to the judge right now. Seb just doesn't know it yet. If he's right, he'll know it in 3...  
2...  
1..  
“-Guilty.” Says the judge.  
Oh.

**Tears stream down your face  
When you lose something you cannot replace  
Tears stream down your face and I**

Seb thinks it's worth a thousand lousy days at the office and a year of sleepless nights, just to see the haughty look knocked off it's usual pedestal on Rubens face as he crashes and burns and is led out of the courtroom, still shocked and gaping at everything like a puffer-fish as the photographers go off at him. Seb will never feel sorry for him.  
Leslie stays asleep for the whole ride home and they decide not to wake him as they tuck him into bed- it's late enough anyway.   
There is a tradition between Seb and Joseph that is usually carried out after every successful case. However, there is a child in the house and besides- they're all out of whipped cream.  
Well, even the 'normal' post-case-solved-case-won sex is absolutely earth-shattering for the both of them and they have the sense to put their clothes back on for once before falling asleep, Joseph curled impossibly close with his back to Sebastian, and Sebastians head falling into the crook of Josephs neck, inhaling his musky, familiar scent and allowing it to lull him into the first truly good nights sleep he has had since before the funeral.

 

**Tears stream down your face  
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes  
Tears stream down your face and I**

 

It's a sunny day and the adoption papers are finalised. Leslie's favourite ice cream flavour is chocolate, so that's what he gets as a celebration. Joseph is still the ever-doting uncle, but it reminds Seb so much of Lilly- of Myra- that he wonders what's going to happen this time. Finding schools and arranging playdates and his job keeps his thoughts occupied, but the thought lingers in his mind that there is a chance that Ruben will be released on parole- and what will happen then?  
Yet, when he feels it all overwhelming him again and his flask is starting to look like a long-lost friend, Leslie finds him and holds him in a way that only a child can do- a way that is instantly calming and that seems to find a way into the heart of anyone who is even watching it all unfold, never mind experiencing it. It also never fails to make Joseph find a camera somewhere in the permanently-messy apartment. Not that anybody minds.  
Ruben is never getting out, Seb tells himself one night as he's tucking Leslie in.

Never.

 

**Lights will guide you home  
And ignite your bones  
And I will try to fix you**


	7. The Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired partially by the song, 'The Sweet Escape' by Gwen Stefani. Hope you enjoy and please comment!

**If I could escape I would but, First of all, let me say I must apologize for acting stank & treating you this way Cause I've been acting like sour milk all on the floor It's your fault you didn't shut the refrigerator Maybe that's the reason I've been acting so cold?**

Ruben Victoriano is not so easily beaten. He lost composure in that court room, of course. But Ruben Victoriano does not make the same mistake twice. He does not underestimate a person twice- he never has, and now he isn't going to start with the good detective Castellanos, is he?

He's been moved to a different box. This box feels more permanent and they've given him the orange jumpsuit that probably houses more inmates than the entirety of the prison, if the constant scratching of his skin is anything to go with.

This box is just as arrogant in thinking it can contain him, of course. Honestly, what does it think it's doing? If Ruben were meant to be contained by a box he'd have been born a delicate flower like Kidman.

Kidman.

Oh, how he hates her now. This is all her fault. He sired the brat with her and then the thing turns against him- that * microbe * wants to face off against daddy, eh? Well, Ruben isn't going to let this go so lightly. Sure, the mite had to be knocked around a bit before, but now...

Ruben Viktoriano has never pitied his son, and he never will. **If I could escape & recreate a place that's my own world & I could be your favourite girl (forever), Perfectly together Tell me boy now wouldn't that be sweet? (sweet escape) If I could be sweet, I know I've been a real bad girl (I'll try to change) I didn't mean for you to get hurt (whatsoever) We can make it better, Tell me boy wouldn't that be sweet? (sweet escape)**

The prisoners seem to be confused. They think Ruben is locked in the prison with them. After his first forced shower the man who dared to touch him serves as evidence- these prisoners are locked in with Ruben. And Ruben will stand for none of their nonsense. He has more important things to think about.

Ruben Viktoriano has places to go.

Ruben Viktoriano has people to see. **I want to get away, to our sweet escape I want to get away, yeah**

He knows he's been in the papers. He can see it in the eyes of the pitiful officer who has to come when he demands phone calls or complains about his headaches. A mind like Rubens doesn't just stop, simply because he's been put in a box like Shrodingers cat. Only it can be said without a doubt that Ruben exists. And when he gets out, he is going to do so much more damage than a mere electron ever could.

It's his son, after all. And his world.

**You held me down, I'm at my lowest boiling point Come help me out, I need to get me out of this joint Come on let's bounce, counting on you to turn me around Instead of clowning around, let's look for some common ground So baby, times get a little crazy I've been gettin' a little lazy, waitin' on you to come save me I can see that you're angry by the way that you treat me Hopefully you don't leave me, wanna take you with me**

Movement isn't going to be any of the things a more normal person would crave- easy, fast, or fun. Luckily, Ruben surpassed the normality stage of his development the second he escaped the womb.

Truly, this is no different. The food was better in the womb and he could actually hear himself think there- it was quieter and he had more help on the other side, but really his contacts can hear him from miles away when he calls them. He's tried to shut this part of his life away, tried to at least pretend to have gotten used to the domesticity. But truth be told, he's missed the excitement of his old world. He's missed the rush and the stickiness of the blood between his fingers and the chill- the smell of fear and horror in the air.

He can't wait to show Leslie how beautiful the world can truly be. **If I could escape & recreate a place that's my own world & I could be your favourite girl (forever), Perfectly together & tell me boy now wouldn't that be sweet? (sweet escape) If I could be sweet (sorry boy) I know I've been a real bad girl (I'll try to change) I didn't mean for you to get hurt (whatsoever) We can make it better & tell me boy now wouldn't that be sweet? (sweet escape)**

Why did he get together with Kidman in the first place? He reflects silently because there's little else to do in his box and if he doesn't think of something else, now that everything is sorted, he'll be too flawless in his execution and the whole plan will go awry.

Ah yes, Kidman. She was a good fuck- a bit like the whores of his old life, but classier. Much classier. And more natural than them as well- she was all flesh with none of the disgusting silicone to hide what she really was. No, she wasn't like him. She never wore her scars on the outside- she always hid them like the scared little idiot she was. That was the largest failing of the woman, he supposes, smirking slightly and closing his eyes.

But what a good fuck. She knew things. In the beginning he'd thought she'd been practising with both of the detectives at once- obviously not, he'd very quickly realised when he'd properly inspected the men. Where she'd learned her certain set of skills was a mystery that would never be solved. Not that Ruben cared.

Her mind was truly the lock that he'd enjoyed picking, unpicking, locking again, and playing with. Until that night. But- NO.

Ruben Viktoriano isn't the one who has regrets about doling out what people deserve. He never has, and he never will. **Cause I've been acting like sour milk fell on the floor It's your fault you didn't shut the refrigerator Maybe that's the reason I've been acting so cold?** The plan will soon be over and done with. Oh yes. Ruben grins a bit too much- he can tell it unnerves the 'guards'- but honestly, he couldn't give a single flying fuck. Unnerving them, making them suspicious- that won't hurt his plan. At this stage, very little can do that.

Einstein once said, 'Only two things are infinite- the universe and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe.' Ruben smirks just a little bit harder upon remembering that quote. Only his own stupidity can possibly fuck up his plan now.

And if there is one thing Ruben Viktoriano is not, Ruben Viktoriano is not stupid.

**If I could escape & recreate a place that's my own world & I could be your favourite girl (forever), Perfectly together & tell me boy now wouldn't that be sweet? (sweet escape) If I could be sweet (sorry boy) I know I've been a real bad girl (I'll try to change) I didn't mean for you to get hurt (whatsoever) We can make it better & tell me boy now wouldn't that be sweet? (sweet escape)**

On the day, he's actually up bright and early. He only beats a little bit of the shit out of an inmate in the shower who tries to slap his ass. And while the food still has all the redeeming qualities of boiled shit, Ruben stares directly at his guard as he eats it all, ignoring everything but what is about to happen.

If there is one thing Ruben Viktoriano does not do...

Ruben Viktoriano does not fail. **Woohoo, Yeehoo (I wanna get away, get away) Woohoo, Yeehoo (To our sweet escape) Woohoo, Yeehoo (I wanna get away) Woohoo, Yeehoo (Yeah) Woohoo, Yeehoo Woohoo, Yeehoo **


End file.
